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July 26, 2009
In The Booth
Edes, who was at the Globe for nearly 12 years before moving to Yahoo! Sports last August, did not offer too much analysis, but NESN viewers weren't getting much of from anyone, anyway. What he did offer was concise news on what's going on throughout baseball (including the National League!), trade rumours, what teams are looking for as the trading deadline nears and who they are shopping. He had good information on the Orioles' young pitchers.
Sadly, it all came as a shock because we've never heard this fresh insight from Remy, or any of the other fill-ins this year.
Edes was low-key, but the last thing I want to hear is a pompous McCarver/Sutcliffe-type proclaiming his opinions loudly and insistently. He also had a nice easy rapport with Orsillo. And he spoke when he had something to say, knowing that quiet (on a TV broadcast) is not something to fear; rather, it shows the announcer understands and is in tune with the flow of the game.
I heard Jim Kaat for only a handful of innings -- I'm not sure how many games he did -- and it seemed he talked more about pitching in general, rather than anything specific to the Red Sox. Nevertheless, he'd be a great replacement if Remy cannot return.
Once Dennis Eckersley toned down his slang and sat upright in his chair, he has been pretty good, though he still gives us more shtick than insight into various strategies on the field.
I'll love Dave Roberts forever for 2004, but he has been an utter disaster in the booth. All he seems capable of doing is narrating the replays, describing exactly what we saw and what Orsillo just finished calling. Then he wraps it up with "that's a good piece of hitting" or "he didn't give in to the pitcher" or "he didn't give in to the hitter" some other worthless cliche. And if I had a dime for every time he says "you know", I could buy out Tom Werner's stake in the team.
I say all this knowing that calling a game must be incredibly difficult and learning on the job cannot be easy. It is unfair to pass judgment on someone based on a week or a month, or maybe even a season, of games. However, while Eck has clearly improved, Roberts has not. (With the Extra Innings package, I'm not always given the NESN feed, so I'm always happy when I do. Lately, however, I have been muting games so as not to start grinding my teeth the second I hear Roberts's voice.)
Also: Orsillo did the first three innings of one game by himself in the early part of this season and was a revelation. With Remy, he rarely did anything other than strict play-by-play, along with too-long recitations of an opposing player's career or a stream of numbers from the press notes. Flying solo, though, he ditched that and proved to be extremely adept at both calling the game and doing analysis. I loved it. (Did he work by himself when he did PawSox radio?)
I have no idea what NESN is going to do -- or if Remy will try to return this year or next -- but Kaat, after getting some schooling on what's going on in the Sox organization, would be a fantastic addition to the NESN team. I'd also be happy with Announcer Boy going it alone.
24 comments:
- Kristin said...
While I appreciate Edes' knowledge and think he's good as a pundit for pre- or post-game shows, I find him distracting when he's in the booth. The things he talks about are often totally apart from what's happening on the field. Whatever you think about Eck's style, at least he talks about the game most of the time.
- July 26, 2009 at 4:12 PM
- laura k said...
I know we all hope Remy is able to return, but if he can't, Kaat would be an excellent choice.
I feel about Eck the way you feel about Roberts. Roberts doesn't add anything to the broadcast, that's for sure, but I can easily tune him out. Eck is like fingernails on a blackboard for me. No, he's worse. Don plus fingernails on a blackboard would be easier for me to listen to than Dennis Eckersley.
I know most fans find him cute and chummy. I find the chumminess contrived and I hate cute.
Edes was a breath of fresh air, but it can't be anything but temporary for him. He's got a great national writing gig, that's got to be way more important to him.
- July 26, 2009 at 4:26 PM
- allan said...
I have grown to like Eck. I did not at first, when it was wall-to-wall cheese paint gas paint cheese paint paint paint. He's calmed way down, though "I got to have it" isn't much better. He can be very entertaining and maybe that's what NESN wants, since the serious fans will always watch and they need to attract the so-so fans.
Roberts is annoying me on a level usually reserved for ESPN broadcasts. And that ain't good.
Edes's topics did not bother me because (a) it was often in answer to a question from Don, (b) it was stuff I did not know, (c) I can see the game so I know what is going on and do not need a recap.
- July 26, 2009 at 4:34 PM
- laura k said...
(c) I can see the game so I know what is going on and do not need a recap.
This is my problem with colour "analysts" in general.
As I said recently in a gamethread, what I want is a play-by-play announcer who calls the game like it's a radio broadcast, and fills in with the occasional factoid when possible - i.e. I want Vin Scully.
I think Don could do a great job on his own, but I can't see NESN going against fashion that way.
- July 26, 2009 at 4:38 PM
- Rob said...
Unfortunately a sports broadcast has been focusing more on being a program in and of itself rather than just letting the game unfold. It's a lot like all the promotions and sponsors and sound effects at the baseball field itself. They want it to be an experience rather than hey, we're going to watch a baseball game.
Why does a baseball broadcast have to be some sort of an art form? Why does it require a play-by-play-sort-of-broadcaster-slash-advertiser-slash-pa-announcer and a color-commentator-former-player-cliche-spewing-t-shirt-selling-website-plugger? Why does it need to be an ongoing discussion in the booth?
And why a third?!?!?! Some teams have three broadcasters! Sunday Night Baseball has three! WHY!!?!?!
L's right. Solo is the way to go, just as long as the guy can cut it. Vin Scully was made for this. He doesn't need to waste many words describing the subtleties of the play so he can provide a balanced broadcast, allowing viewers to enjoy the game.
- July 26, 2009 at 5:17 PM
- CaKeY said...
I like Eck!! I get the feeling he know's its just a temporary gig and he's doing the best he can, while at the same time enjoying himself.
I did not enjoy Kaat. He reminds of McCarver... with the "little known facts" and the stupid little stories and nicknames.. blah..
I still think Bill Lee would be great! Was really hoping they'd get him in a series or two.
- July 26, 2009 at 5:36 PM
- 9casey said...
Eck I like, just thought he was funny , in the way L hates...
Roberts is bad, and I am sure they tested him first, bad job by letting him go on air.
Edes' I find has trouble finishing thoughts, lets his ramblings go on during a play, the same way they let Heidis pretaped interviews go on during plays...
But all in all Edes did a decent job and L mentioned he wouldn't leave his writing gig, does that pay more?
- July 26, 2009 at 6:03 PM
- 9casey said...
Off topic, is the Smoltz experiment over yet......it will be interesting to see if they learned from the Gagne experiment
- July 26, 2009 at 6:06 PM
- Jere said...
I think if Kaat wanted to go back to regular announcing, he'd go back with the Yanks, since he's still a YES employee anyway. If he became our announcer, I'd be fine with it, as he's always been the only Yankee announcer I could stomach, and even enjoy, but I don't see him up and switching to the rival.
The best part about Edes today was when Orsillo asked him if he was gonna sell stuff, after he plugged his Yahoo gig, and Edes didn't miss the lob, saying, "I leave that to the RemDawg."
- July 26, 2009 at 6:31 PM
- laura k said...
I would have thought that about Kaat too (re Yanks) until I heard him in an interview with Castiglione the other day - talking about his move to New England to be with his new love/wife, who is a Red Sox fan, how much he loves New England, Sox culture, etc. It sounded like he was making a pitch to come on board. :)
- July 26, 2009 at 6:34 PM
- laura k said...
Also, it was always obvious to me that Kaat had problems with Yankees management. No love lost there, I think.
- July 26, 2009 at 6:36 PM
- Jere said...
That's cool. Maybe he could fill the Castiglione-partner role. If he doesn't mind doing a few innings of play-by-play each night.
- July 26, 2009 at 6:39 PM
- Jere said...
Right, re: Yankee management, but he is still doing his blog on Yes.
- July 26, 2009 at 6:40 PM
- laura k said...
I like what Ish says about entertainment and trying to make the broadcast into the show.
Also, I know everyone but me likes Eck. That's been very obvious!
- July 26, 2009 at 7:37 PM
- laura k said...
L mentioned he wouldn't leave his writing gig, does that pay more?
I guess I've been assuming he is actually a writer. In which case it's not only which pays more. It's just a better job - bigger audience, more scope in what he can write about, more stories to cover, wider readership than Boston. In writing terms, it's a big step up.
Which pays more, I have no idea.
- July 26, 2009 at 7:40 PM
- The Omnipotent Q said...
Jim Kaat did just the three games in Toronto and was terrific. He stuck with what he knows best, pitching. He's a joy to listen to, and announces under the assumption that the audience is reasonably intelligent.
I also enjoyed Gordon Edes, too. Talked a lot about the trading deadline and that was very interesting. I met him in April 2004 at a bar in NYC with other Sox fans and he's a great guy in person, too.
- July 26, 2009 at 7:44 PM
- laura k said...
We met Edes at a Red Sox game in Toronto. He was very nice - and funny.
- July 26, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- tim said...
First of all, yup - what ish said. Well put.
I enjoyed Edes, only caught a bit of Kaat and from what I heard, was OK. I agree that Roberts is awful and, yes L, I agree with you - Eck is terrible as well. He's OK in very small doses and I do enjoy laughing at his obscenities and miscues. He has become slightly more palatable since toning down the excessive gas-cheese-paint-fest, but I would rather do without him.
Orsillo on his own would be interesting to hear. I dunno, I don't really care much about the announcing as my main focus is the game. But yeah, it does take away from my enjoyment of the game when it is shitty.
- July 26, 2009 at 8:14 PM
- FenFan said...
Ish - your comments are dead-on.
Watching rebroadcasts of games played well before my time, the focus was on the game at hand, rather than filling in the "dead space" with inane chatter. Now it's about tapping into demographics.
Sitting at Fenway on Saturday night was a treat as always but the absence of someone describing the obvious made it even more enjoyable.
- July 27, 2009 at 4:57 AM
- andy said...
I watch the local broadcasts of Dodgers games all the time just to hear Scully. He said he talks to the viewer since you are stuck listening to him he might as well address you.
- July 27, 2009 at 6:02 AM
- Unknown said...
I do like Kaat a lot, but if they're going to have a former player, I'd prefer he'd be a former Red Sox. It seems weird to have someone who was never a part of your organization be your color guy. It's not a rational thing, I'll admit.
- July 27, 2009 at 8:39 AM
- Unknown said...
I think Eck has improved immensely. He LOVES baseball, and it shines through. it's a kid's game, so why shouldn't he be having fun up there?
- July 29, 2009 at 7:27 AM
- hankgolfer said...
Ok this is the definitive answer about the commentators. Eck is the best he combines solid baseball knowledge with lively comments. I love the words paint, hair, high cheese, throwing salad. He can keep a boring baseball fun and interesting with his comments. He works great with Don, a lot of good interaction there. Dennis if you read this do not change a thing. Others like McCarver are boring and make you think that they are sharing some great secret with you. I don't want a science lesson. NESN would be making a great mistake to let him go. Keep him with Jerry. Don is great too. Don and Dennis make a great team. Excellent banter between them. Bottom line Eck is the best with Don, then Jerry. So it is written so shall it be done.
- July 29, 2009 at 12:40 PM
- hankgolfer said...
This the definitive statement on the commentators. Eck is the best he combines intelligent conversation with witty talk. I enjoy the words high cheese, hair on it, throwing salad, paint. He is the best working with Don. The conversation and banter between them is great. Don't change a thing Dennis. Eck can make a boring baseball game interesting and fun to watch. NESN would be making a big mistake not to keep Eck in the booth. So it is written so shall it be done.
- July 30, 2009 at 6:48 AM


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UPDATE: Police have identified the murder victim as 29-year-old Manjinder "Manny" Hairan. Investigators also revealed that a second, unidentified man was injured and taken to hospital.
SURREY, B.C. - Gun violence flared again early Tuesday morning in Surrey, B.C., as the suburban Vancouver city recorded its latest murder, but investigators are waving off speculation about an escalating gang war.
"It does appear to be a targeted, gang-related shooting, at this point," said Sgt. Jennifer Pound, as she arrived at the scene of the attack that occurred just before 2 a.m. Tuesday in the in the 12700 block of 112B Ave.
The unnamed victim, described by police as known to them, lay in a laneway of a normally quiet block of Surrey's Bridgeview neighbourhood.
Although it was the fourth death in Surrey since Sunday, when 27-year-old Manjot Dhillon and two other men were killed in two separate shootings, Pound said police had found no apparent links between the crimes.
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Pound urged anyone with information about any of the three shootings to come forward. (The Canadian Press, CKNW, News1130)


text:
Dealing with cancer requires more than a good healthcare team and quality medical treatment - it requires emotional strength and courage. Very often, the strength cancer survivors develop during their fight changes their lives forever. In this interview, four cancer survivors from different walks of life share the lessons they learned from cancer and tell us how those lessons have changed them.
First the Honeymoon Then the Chemo
Ms. Cluxton:
I was 32 years old, and I was planning my wedding. My fiancé noticed a sort of flat area around my nipple, and I really blew it off. I could really only notice it when I raised my arm over my head. So I sort of put it off and we went for our wedding and it was beautiful, and we went on our honeymoon. And while we were on our honeymoon, I could feel a lump. So we got home from our honeymoon, I called my OB/GYN, and she sent me in for an ultrasound and a mammogram and ultimately a biopsy – basically all within the same day. About five days after we got home from our honeymoon, I was told I had breast cancer.
I didn't even think that that's what it would be when I had the lump or even just the flattening spot. I really thought it was just some sort of weird hormone thing – I just didn't even think it would be cancer. Everybody that I'd known that had cancer was always older, they were like great aunts or my grandmother.
Our plan was that after a couple of years of working I would try to get pregnant and hopefully be able to be a stay-at-home mom. We'd even talked about opening our own restaurant because we'd worked in restaurants for so long. We sort of had it all figured out. And having cancer really changed all of that.
It gave us a big, huge bump in the road, and we had to change directions. Now we're on a new road, and we have a new journey to do but we're doing it. My husband and I really enjoy our lives. It just wasn't what we planned. So now I really find that it's more important that we live for the day. We live year to year. We plan things maybe to do next year, but that's about as far as we go. I just don't like to have all these great huge plans, 10 years from now.
Second Opinion Reveals Testicular Cancer
Mr. Santamorena:
Well, I went to the doctor in 2002. I wasn't feeling well, and I had lost about 10 pounds. The doctor told me I may have strep throat, and he handed me a bottle of penicillin and told me to go home. Well, at that same visit, I actually scheduled my physical. And in between the time of this visit and the physical, I noticed a hardness and a growing in my testicle. I didn't think much of it. I thought, "Okay, I'll mention it to the doctor at my physical."
So I mentioned it to him, and he sort of blew it off saying it was probably a varicose-like vein. He actually told me the good thing was it's not cancer. He said I'm too old for that. So I went home thinking of my past visit with him, and I said to myself, "You know, I don't feel comfortable with this diagnosis," and I asked him what else I could do to verify his findings. So he suggested I get an ultrasound, which I did the following day. And the following Monday, he called me up and told me that, yes, indeed I had a tumor.
Right at that visit, I said "Let's schedule the surgery," the orchiectomy [removal of the testicle]. So I had that like two days later. And I thought it was over right there. I thought I was done, but then I had the pathology looked at by doctors down at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (in New York), and based on the pathology they recommended an RPLND, which is a retro-peritoneal lymph node dissection. Basically, they wanted to remove the lymph nodes that rest on the inside of my spine. So I had that done.
That was a little bit rough. I spent a week in the hospital and several weeks recovering from that operation. But after that, everything was fairly normal. I would just go down to Sloan[-Kettering Cancer Center] every month or every two months for checkups, blood tests, X-rays and an occasional CAT scan.
Steve's Testicular Cancer Returns
Mr. Santamorena:
In 2007 in January, my daughter and I were wrestling, and she kicked me in the groin. And it hurt like all men know that hurts, but it was a little different. And I noticed it seemed to be larger than it should, my testicle. So I told my wife, who actually became an oncologist after my first experience, so she would have some insight into this. So she suggested that I go see the doctor, which I did – a different doctor, by the way. The first doctor was fired after the first ordeal.
This doctor said he didn't feel anything remarkable, but he said I could go get an ultrasound. He totally understood my situation, and he was very accommodating. So I had the ultrasound that day, and lo and behold, a tumor. So again we scheduled the orchiectomy for that week.
I obviously don't make my own testosterone anymore, but I do replace. I have a patch that I put on every night. But I actually feel fine. I work out every day. I'm in pretty good shape. So it hasn't really affected me that way at all.
After my first ordeal, I heard about Sean Kimerling [an Emmy Award-winning anchor of WB11 sports in New York and pre-game announcer for the New York Mets] and what happened. Sean actually died of testicular cancer in 2003. But his family was starting the Sean Kimerling Testicular Cancer Foundation to help raise awareness, to help spread the word to young men, college, high school age boys. So I figured if I can help these guys feel comfortable with checking themselves and going to see a doctor if something seems different, then I could possibly save a life or two.
I've talked to a few colleges here that are local. And my wife, while she was going to school to be a nurse, she did a testicular cancer awareness campaign on campus. And I got to go there, and I spoke to the football team with her.
Stunned to Find Leukemia During a Routine Physical
Mr. Rowe:
Well, the diagnosis [of chronic myeloid leukemia, CML] came as quite a surprise. I had finally agreed with my wife that I was long overdue for a physical, so I called for one. The first thing they did was a blood test. That very evening I got a call from the doctor who, even though Margarite and I were both on the phone, just wouldn't acknowledge me. He kept talking to her.
He was very upset and said, "This is probably very unprofessional doing this by telephone, but your husband has the highest white blood cell counts I've ever seen in my life. I think he has leukemia, and I think he should go to the hospital tonight."
That, of course, stunned both of us. I knew something was going on, but it seemed like little somethings: fatigue, some gout attacks, cases of the hives, some weight loss. I now know those were all symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia, but I didn't know it then.
At any rate, I did not go to the hospital. I went to a different lab the next day to have another blood test done just in case, but unfortunately it came back with the same results.
Well, they said that the life expectancy was one to four years from diagnosis. But because I had obviously had the disease for quite a while and because of what they called my advanced age [61 years], they said it would more likely be one year than four.
I just kept laying awake in bed thinking, "Is that it? Is that all there is?" And it just seemed like somehow life was incomplete, like I should have done more or I needed to do more before the end came.
Fighting to Even Receive Treatment for CML
Mr. Rowe:
My wife and I did a lot of research, of course, like I think many patients do, and came back to the doctors with various options for treatment. They refused to check the national donor base, saying I was too old. There's a 40 percent mortality rate for bone marrow transplant at my age, and, of course, I would come back with comments like, "Well, I think 40 percent is better odds than 100 percent. Because if I don't get treatment, I will die." But they wouldn't check the registry.
They wouldn't give me interferon-alpha, which was then the gold standard treatment, stating I would feel bad the whole time so they were making a quality-of-life decision for me. And I said, "No, you're making the decision I'll have no life." But they wouldn't let me have it.
Finally, Margarite and I found information on the Internet about an experimental drug that was showing astonishingly good results for my type of leukemia. I very excitedly asked my doctors to help me get in the clinical trial, and they refused. And the lead doctor, after a bit of back and forth discussion, looked me in the eye and had a big sigh and said, "Look, Mr. Rowe, you don't understand. That drug is very scarce, it's hard to manufacture, it's in short supply and they're not going to waste it on you."
So when they said that Margarite and I just looked at each other and without saying a word we both knew we were out of there. So we went and got all of my medical records and through some more research found out who was manufacturing that drug. I called the drug company. They said there were just three slots in the United States that would accept people of my age. And because I already had all of my records, I applied for a slot at the nearest location to me, which is in Baltimore, and I got accepted. Not only did I get accepted to the clinical trial, but I got randomized to the experimental drug. And that doggone stuff worked. It's been seven years, six of them in full remission.
I'm seeing my kids and grandkids a lot more often than I used to, and that of course is a real joy. I've been doing a lot of volunteer work for various health advocacy agencies, including, of course, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America.
A friend of mine, Congressman Dan Burton of Indiana heard of my situation and called and asked me to come to work for him for a while, and I spent three years assigned to the health unit of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. That's the committee that deals with the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health and the Center for Disease Control. So trying to, you might say, look over their shoulder and see that they were doing the right thing for the American public was very satisfying.
Serendipity: Lung Cancer Discovered by Accident
Ms. Zinda:
I needed a hip replacement at age 50 and two weeks later was feeling really, really great, but during the night I had a dizzy spell. I thought it was just from the narcotics that they had me on for the replacement. But my husband, who is a radiation oncologist, said, "I think you need to go to the ER, and I think you might be throwing a blood clot."
I didn't want to go to the emergency room. However, I listened to his better judgment and at 4 in the morning the doctor just came back and he said, "You know, Gayle, I don't know what caused the dizzy spell, but you do have lung cancer." And I was just like, "Oh, no, wait a minute. I know you're tired, and you've read a lot of reports. Could you kind of go back again?" He said, "No, I'm sorry, but you do have lung cancer, and we do need to do a biopsy ASAP."
So they rushed me to do a biopsy, and within a week I was having a left lower lobe removal. Everything happened so quickly. I was very blessed. By the grace of God, it was caught early. It was in very, very early stages, so they were able to remove the lobe, the left lower lobe, and everything happened so fast I didn't really have time to think about the repercussions of everything. It was actually found on a CT scan. It had nothing to do with anything that I was even in there for.
They caught it so early, and I did not have to do chemotherapy or radiation. The prognosis for me has been very good.
Fighting for Early Lung Cancer Screening
Ms. Zinda:
When I found out I had this, I was in the healthcare field for 10 years with breast cancer survivors, and I had no idea how many people were diagnosed each year with lung cancer. I had no idea that it was the leading cause of cancer death in America. It just never even registered with me. When I found out that I was diagnosed because of a CT screening and yet they're not recommended by a lot of the medical population, I was just dumbfounded. Because the test is about $150, takes about 10 minutes, and it is the only thing they have right now to detect lung cancer.
There are literally thousands of people dying each year from this disease. So for me, I say if CT will pick it up for the high-risk population, then I'm all for it. And I was a smoker when I was in my 20s. I was a social smoker, and did it for about 10 years. But there's a myth that if you quit smoking that you're going to be cancer-free, and that's totally not true. You still remain at high and elevated risk forever.
I had just come out with my first book, which has nothing to do with lung cancer. Ironically, it's about breast cancer. We [my son and I] were just about ready to do the tour for that, but we have been able to use it as a tour across America to make people more aware about lung cancer and how deadly a disease it is. We need to be asking our physicians, when we go for other testing if you're at high risk, meaning you've smoked, you've lived with smokers for a long time, ask your doctor what he's going to do for your lungs.
For More Information on Lessons Learned from Cancer
To hear more from our guests about what they learned during their struggles with cancer, including their advice to audience members, listen to the HealthTalk webcast, Life Lessons from Cancer.
For more information about cancer, check out these HealthTalk.com resources:


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As a trainer, it's important to help clients achieve their goal in a safe manner. Whether training an average Joe or a professional athlete, they have one thing in common—to have flat abs. In order to help clients target their midsection, I have them perform core exercises instead of traditional crunches.
Core exercises are a safer alternative and target more muscles. Not only do core exercises help trim fat, but they also offer structure and balance to day-to-day functions (like carrying groceries). Here's an in-depth look at the core and how to achieve lean abs.
What is the Core?
The core is more than just a six pack (abdominal muscles). The core is any muscle that supports and stabilizes the pelvis, spine and shoulders.
Exercises such as front squats, deadlifts, push-ups and pull-ups are all considered excellent core movements.
More: Why is a Strong Core Important?
Functional Exercise
Your core/trunk/torso (call it what you want) is especially important for any additional fitness-related activity (running, swimming, biking). A strong, stable core will lead to better posture, efficient movement, and improved performance.
Whether you're a collegiate athlete, business executive or stay-at-home mom, you want to include these compound movements into your fitness routine. They provide full-body strength, prevent injury, and translate more effectively into your daily activities.
More: The Benefits of Functional Core Training
5 Crunch-Free Exercises
Seal Walks
This is a great anti-rotation movement because your goal is to minimize the rotation of the pelvis as you move. Keep your abdominals braced and be sure to not lock out your elbows as you move. This is also great for the shoulder stabilizers, shins and quads. There are several tools you can use to perform this movement including: Valslides, Sandbells and plates. Shoot for 20 to 30 yards if you have the space.
Video: Seal Walks
Note: This clip is showing an advanced variation with banded resistance.
Stability Ball "Stir The Pots"
This is a great progression from the traditional plank. Using an unstable tool, such as the stability ball, you easily increase the intensity. Elevate the feet and incorporate small movements (such as circles or spell out the alphabet with your arms) will challenge the core muscles on both the front-side and backside of the body. Be sure to watch the lumbar spine, your goal is to maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise.
Video: Stability Ball "Stir the Pots"
More: Stability Ball Exercises to Build Strength and Flexibility
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A. they're already has a verb 'are'.Originally Posted by tdol
:( They're are many way of doing it.
:D They're doing it many ways.
B. their needs to modify a noun
:( Their books are many ways of doing it.
:D Their books show many ways of doing it.
C. there needs a verb
:D There are many was of doing it.
Cas :)
English Teacher


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Keeping stress at bay: Stress and Stress Management in Workplace Podcast by: Dr Neil Thompson (@DrNeilThompson) is an independent writer, educator and adviser. He edits the free monthly e-zine, Well-beingBULLETIN (www.well-being.org.uk). A blog and free Tip of the Week facility are available at his website, www.neilthompson.info and details of his audio-visual learning resources are available at www.avenuemediasolutions.com. Dr. Thompson is a member of @SWSCmedia Expert Panel. Join us … Continue reading
Wow! Being asked 'Why I am a social worker?' has taken me back to when I was asked this question for the first time, 16 years ago, at my entry into social work exam at and my first year on the course. My response today is pretty much the same as it was then. I … Continue reading
In this interview, Linda and Anne discuss their new book, Mastering Approaches to Diversity in Social Work, which looks at a range of diversity issues in social work practice and includes a model for understanding discrimination. Diversity is one of the nine overarching competences for social workers in the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers … Continue reading
Thank you for joining us @SWSCmedia for our debate on Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development #GASWSD. Our online debate was accompanied by discussions at London Metropolitan University and following the parliamentary reception and the official presentation of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development at Portcullis house to Ministers and Members … Continue reading
Briefing on the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development Commitment to Action Today we celebrate that social work is a global profession. We see that when we welcome internationally qualified colleagues who come to work in our teams. We celebrate it when we go to conferences and meetings where we meet social workers … Continue reading
Voices from the Future: Sasha Williams reflection on 1st year BSc students exploring the mission of Social Work. Podcast by: Sasha Williams (@sasemwills) is a PhD researcher interested in the area of child neglect and a Twitter Ambassador for @SWSCmedia. Join our debates every Tuesday at 8:00 PM UK / 3:00 PM ET and every Sunday 6:00 PM UK / … Continue reading
Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice: What Is It and Why Should We Care? Podcast by: Dr. Nancy Smyth (@njsmyth) is Professor and Dean of School of Social Work at University at Buffalo and Associate Research Scientist at Research Institute on Addictions. She is also a member of @SWSCmedia Expert Panel. Join our debates every Tuesday at 8:00 PM UK / 3:00 … Continue reading
It's an election year. Jobs and the economy are the top priorities that concern Americans. The government has made huge strides to prevent massive job losses for police officers, fire fighters, first responders, and teachers. Did you notice what was missing from that sentence? If you guessed Social Workers, you got it right. The National … Continue reading
I have been involved in studying stress for over twenty years now, and what has worried me most during that time is not the apparent growth of workplace stress as a phenomenon (worrying enough though that is), but rather the extent to which so many people now accept stress as inevitable. It is as if … Continue reading
How small donations are having a big impact, one family at a time Ms. M was busy raising two daughters on her own when she realized she was heading for a dead end. The problem was, with little savings and her eldest suffering from a serious heart condition, she had no idea how to turn … Continue reading


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Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) help companies to better manage and extend the life of their assets.
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HRMS or Workforce Management Software, provide a comprehensive solution to streamline HR processes and operations.


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Berlusconi targeted, overthrown by CIA?
Webster G. Tarpley
Feb 21, 2013
This coming Sunday and Monday, Italians will go to the polls to choose a new parliament and thus a new prime minister, while setting the stage for the election of a new president of the republic shortly thereafter.
Most indications are that the most numerous faction in the coming parliament, with just over one third of the votes, will be the Common Good coalition, composed of the Democratic Party (the remains of the old Italian Communist Party), the Left Ecology Freedom movement of Nichi Vendola, which includes various paleocommunists, and some smaller forces. This coalition is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, a colorless bureaucrat. Ironically, despite its leftist rhetoric, the Common Good is the formation most likely to continue the austerity policies which are currently tearing Italy apart.
Coming in second with almost 30% should be the center-right coalition around the People of Freedom, the party of the irrepressible former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, joined by the Northern League of Umberto Bossi, a xenophobic group which also articulates the resentments of northern Italy against the south, the Mezzogiorno.
Another important leader is Giulio Tremonti, the former Minister of Economics and Finance. Berlusconi, a wealthy businessman and three-time prime minister, was most recently in power from 2008 to November 2011. Berlusconi's fall had been prepared through a series of lurid revelations about his personal life, including an attack by the CIA document dump known as Wikileaks. Berlusconi's second-place status represents a remarkable comeback, and the last polls show him closing on Bersani.
Third place with almost 20% is likely to belong to a new and unorthodox political formation, the Five Star Movement (5SM), where the dominant personality is the former Genoese comedian Beppe Grillo, a colorful and talented demagogue. The 5SM is anti-politician, anti-euro, anti-infrastructure, anti-tax, and anti-mainstream media. Like the GOP, they want to reduce the public debt, meaning they want deflation. Grillo proposes a guaranteed annual income for all Italians, a 30-hour work week, and a drastic reduction of energy consumption and of production. He demands free Wi-Fi for all. Without modern production, how can these benefits be provided?
Grillo wants to abort the infrastructure projects - like the new high-speed train tunnel between Turin and France and the bridge between Calabria and Sicily - upon which Italy's economic future depends. He is long on petty bourgeois process reforms like term limits, media reform, corporate governance, and banning convicted felons from parliament, but short on defending the standard of living for working people. On a bizarre note, he has praised the British response to the 2008 banking crisis. As many as 100 members of the 5SM, many of them total political novices, and more than a few adventurers who have jumped on board Grillo's bandwagon, may now enter parliament, with predictably destabilizing consequences. Grillo could be the vehicle for an Italian color revolution along the lines of Ukraine or Georgia.
In fourth place, with less than 10%, is expected to be the current prime minister of Italy, Mario Monti, a former eurocrat of the Brussels Commission who has led a brutal technocratic austerity regime since coming to power in November 2011 through a coup d'état sponsored by the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, and executed by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano with help from Mario Draghi at the European Central Bank.
Both Monti and Draghi are former employees of Goldman Sachs, the widely hated zombie bank. When Monti seized power, he was widely acclaimed as a savior and enjoyed an approval rating of 70%; his approval has now fallen to about 30%. Like Gorbachev, he is unpopular at home but remains the darling of foreign leaders. Even the London Financial Times is bearish on Monti, accusing him of starting his austerity regime when Italy was already in recession.
Among the also-rans are Civic Revolution of Antonio Ingroia, a merger of the Greens with Antonio Di Pietro's anti-corruption forces left over from the "Clean Hands" movement of the early 1990s, which targeted politicians but did very little to attack the larger corruption of the Bank of Italy and the big banks.
Another smaller list is Stop the Decline, led by the strange Oscar Giannino, backed up by a clique of US-educated professors of neo-liberal austerity economics. This list was paid to poach votes from Berlusconi. But now Giannino has been hit with a scandal based on his false claim of holding a master's degree from a Chicago university.
The Italian political landscape is extremely fragmented, so public opinion polls - which cannot by law be published after February 8 - are more than usually unreliable. Under the Italian system, the political force which comes in first gets 54% of the seats in the lower house. Multi-party coalitions must get 10% to enter parliament. If the 10% is not achieved, the individual parties fall back under the rule which prescribes that parties not in a coalition must get 4% to win seats.
Italian politics, which for many decades after World War II had eight parties, has undergone massive Weimarization, especially since Monti's coup. There are now no fewer than 25 political parties or organizations. This time around, there are four new parties, including those of Monti and Grillo. Two parties, including one led by Gianfranco Fini, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, and another by former Defense Minister Ignazio LaRussa, have split from Berlusconi. Two parties have also split from the Democratic Party, including the libertarian Radicals of Marco Pannella and Emma Bonino.
Banks hope for Bersani-Monti regime to continue austerity
The banking community, as represented by Mediobanca and others, is hoping for a Bersani-Monti coalition government to continue the savage austerity policies that Monti's technocratic ministers have been imposing over the last 15 months. Bersani's party and its predecessors have always seen their business model as begging the big banks to let them join the government, in exchange for which they will break the labor movement, suppress strikes, and impose budget austerity across the board. Incredibly, Bersani has been one of Monti's warmest admirers. Bersani has not learned the lesson of Weimar Germany, when the Social Democrats (SPD) supported Hunger Chancellor Heinrich Brüning's austerity program, wrecking the economy and the political system, and opening the door to National Socialism.
Mediobanca concedes that a Bersani-Monti tandem will be weak, and might need more support from smaller parties, leading to instability with early elections likely in the short term. Although the Common Good will have a majority in the Chamber of Deputies due to the majority bonus, there is no bonus in the Senate, where most members are directly elected by winning their districts. This is where the Common Good plus Monti may fall short.
Some might say that Italians can choose among a genocidal professor, a party hack, a genial satyr, and a scurrilous clown. How did the current situation arise?
During the Obama years, the first goal of the US intelligence community has been to destroy the Berlusconi government, for geopolitical reasons. Based on Berlusconi's close personal relationship with Putin, he had secured for Italy an important role in the construction of the Nordstream pipeline, and an even more important participation in the Southstream pipeline -- both projects which Washington wanted to sabotage.
Berlusconi also made overtures to President Lukashenko of Belarus, much demonized in Foggy Bottom. The State Department wants to turn the European Union against Putin's Russia, but the pro-US eurocrats and eurogarchs complained that Italy was becoming an advocate for Moscow within the Brussels bureaucracy. Lucia Annunziata wrote in La Stampa of May 25, 2009 under the title "The Shadow of a Plot" that center-right circles believed US-Italian relations were being hurt by "the excessive closeness of premier Silvio Berlusconi to the Russian Prime Minister Putin."
The London Economist commented: Italy is one of the countries which have gotten much closer to Moscow than Washington desires, starting from the [August 2008] crisis in Georgia. By 2010 at the latest, US agencies were fully mobilized to overthrow Berlusconi.
State Department campaign to topple Berlusconi, 2008-2011
One part of this effort involved Gianfranco Fini, the former neofascist whom Berlusconi had made President of the Chamber of Deputies in 2008. Fini had been a member of the official neofascist party. In July 2010, after a faction fight, Fini was expelled from Berlusconi's party, managing to take with him 34 deputies and 10 senators in a move which weakened, but did not destroy, Berlusconi's governing majority. It was later revealed that Fini's actions had been closely coordinated with the US embassy in Rome.
During 2009, David Thorne took over as US ambassador to Italy. Thorne was a Yale roommate of John Kerry, who has just become US Secretary of State. Thorne, like Kerry and the Bushes, is a member of the infamous Skull and Bones secret society, and is the twin brother of Kerry's ex-wife. Thorne's first meeting on becoming ambassador was with Fini, and not with Berlusconi. Fini is also reported to be a close personal friend of Nancy Pelosi, when Speaker of the House had the same job as Fini. (Il Fatto Quotidiano, September 15, 2010)
Fini, true to form, is now a part of the pro-austerity With Monti For Italy coalition. Bur despite his US backing, Fini may be close to the last hurrah. He had rented a theater in Agrigento, Sicily for a major appearance, but found the premises empty except for a few dozen supporters.
When the Fini operation failed, the CIA turned to exposés of the wild parties at Berlusconi's mansion in Arcore, near Milan, feeding an immense international propaganda campaign. In December 2009, Berlusconi was struck on the face and seriously injured by an alabaster model of the Milan Cathedral. Italian judges, some of them politically motivated, pursued scores of legal actions against Berlusconi. One of these judges, Ilda Boccassini, was a sympathizer of the left countergang Lotta Continua well into the 1980s. Wikileaks documents made public in December 2010 confirmed the deep hostility of the State Department to Berlusconi.
Giorgio Napolitano, Henry Kissinger's favorite communist
The coup that finally ousted Berlusconi in November 2011 was managed by Giorgio Napolitano, the president of the Italian Republic and thus the head of state. The Italian presidency has often been almost a ceremonial office, but it acquires significant powers when governments fall, which is frequently. Napolitano has vastly expanded these powers.
For most of his life, Napolitano has been an active member of the Italian Communist Party. He belonged to the right-wing faction around Giorgio Amendola - Napolitano was known as Skinny Giorgio, and Amendola as Fat Giorgio. It has recently been revealed that between 1977 and 1981, Napolitano conducted secret meetings with the Carter administration's ambassador to Rome, Richard Gardner of the Trilateral Commission. These meetings only became public knowledge in 2005, with the publication of Gardner's memoirs, Mission Italy. This puts Napolitano in contact with the US embassy during the kidnapping and murder of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, in whose death US intelligence agencies played an important role.
Henry Kissinger once called Napolitano "my favorite communist." Business Week referred to him as the point man in Italy for the New York Council on Foreign Relations. The Italian press has dubbed him King George. But thanks in large part to Putin's support for the Italian prime minister, it took the CIA two years to overthrow Berlusconi. In the end, only economic and financial warfare, plus Napolitano's treachery, would prove decisive.
Mario Monti: Bilderberg, trilateral, Goldman Sachs
In October 2011, the Yale-educated economist Mario Monti, a eurogarch of the Brussels Commission from 1994 to 1999, was president of the Bocconi University of Milan, a business school. He had worked on the Santer, Prodi, and Barroso commissions in Brussels. He was and remains the European Chairman of the Trilateral Commission, founded by David Rockefeller, as well as a member of the secretive Bilderberg group. He was also a consultant for Goldman Sachs and Coca-Cola.
While Berlusconi was under siege by the Anglo-Americans, Napolitano plotted for months to make Monti the kingpin of a regime of technocrats - supposedly nonpartisan experts who did not represent any political party and could therefore more readily impose pitiless austerity. This was a formula the International Monetary Fund had been trying to force on Italy for 30 years and more.
A modern coup d'état using spreads, not tanks
The indispensable ingredient in the Napolitano-Monti coup was a broad-based and coordinated attack on Italian government bonds by Wall Street, the City of London, and their European satellites. This attack involved threats by ratings agencies to downgrade Italian debt, backed up by massive derivatives speculation against the bonds using credit default swaps (CDS) to increase the interest-rate premium - or spread - paid by Italy compared to Germany in borrowing. (The agencies were later investigated for fraud by Judge Michele Ruggiero of Trani.) Of course, the European Central Bank could at any time have wiped out the speculators by purchasing large quantities of Italian bonds in the open market and driving up the price.
But Napolitano and Monti knew that they could count on the new boss of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi to sabotage the Italian bonds. Draghi took over from the Frenchman Trichet in the night of Halloween 2011, and the attack on Italy began immediately on November 1.
During the summer of 2011, Berlusconi had resisted demands for draconian austerity, perhaps because he knew that Italy was too big to fail and that sooner or later Wall Street and London would have to back off. He was vilified for a lack of civic virtue. During the final attack on Berlusconi, Italian bond yields reached 7%, and the famous spread peaked at 575 basis points over the rate on German bonds. The New York Times cited reports that Draghi "had restricted… purchases of Italian bonds to put more pressure on Mr. Berlusconi to quit" and to extort more austerity from Italy. "If so, the pressure worked." (NYT, November 9, 2011) The parliament was in panic.
On November 8, 2011 Napolitano appointed Monti, who had never been elected to any public office, as senator for life. This also meant immunity from prosecution for life, unless and until the Italian Senate voted to take this parliamentary immunity away. Also on November 8, Berlusconi concluded that he had lost his parliamentary majority. On November 10, 2011, the new senator for life Monti met with Napolitano at the Quirinal Palace for a two-hour discussion of economic "growth" by means of "structural reforms." Napolitano still ridiculed rumors that he would make Monti the next prime minister. On the same day, Obama called Napolitano to assure him of US support in his management of the post-Berlusconi crisis. Just this month, Napolitano visited Obama with the obvious goal of getting more US support for Monti.
Berlusconi and other politicians like the anti-corruption activist Di Pietro were pressing for early elections to let the Italian people show what they wanted. But Napolitano was intent on carrying out his cold coup: "markets trumped traditional democratic processes," wrote the New York Times on December 2, 2011. On November 13, Napolitano officially charged Monti with forming a government of non-party austerity technocrats, and Monti won a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies by 556 to 61. Only the Northern League opposed Monti. This lopsided vote recalled a similar one carried out in the resort town of Vichy, France on July 10,1940 in which the National Assembly voted dictatorial powers for Marshal Pétain, effectively replacing the Third French Republic with a fascist regime. On that day, the vote -- managed by the infamous Pierre Laval -- had been 569 in favor, 80 against, and 18 abstentions.
Monti's cabinet was composed of little-known figures, mainly from northern Italy, with Catholic, academic, or military backgrounds. One who has become infamous is Labor Minister Elsa Fornero, a professor who cried in public over her own cruelty when she presented her anti-retiree measures. There was the impression that the Monti cabinet were bit players reading lines that had been written by the IMF and the ECB.
Presidential powers from von Hindenburg to Napolitano
Napolitano was following in the footsteps of German Reich President Field Marshal von Hindenburg, who pushed aside the Reichstag (parliament) as the maker of governments when he named the austerity enforcer Heinrich Brüning as chancellor in March, 1930. After this point, no German government could obtain a governing majority, and all relied on Hindenburg's emergency powers to stay in office -- including von Papen, von Schleicher, and finally Hitler in the first weeks of 1933. These were all called presidential governments, as Monti's has been. By relegating the parliament to irrelevance, von Hindenburg contributed mightily to the atrophy and death of German democracy.
At the time, I called attention to the obvious coup d'état by Goldman Sachs and its allies, with a similar operation in Greece around the same time. Paolo Becchi, Professor of the Philosophy of Jurisprudence at the University of Genoa, noted that Napolitano "telling a technocrat from Brussels to form a government is nothing but a coup d'état ordered by powerful forces, partly from outside Italy, and managed by the President of the Republic." Up until now, the bankers had been willing to govern indirectly, masking their power with the faces of politicians.
Now, the bankers wanted to seize power directly: "But it was necessary at least to keep up appearances. With an attitude which is typical of all the followers of Cataline [who attempted a coup against the Roman Republic in the time of Cicero], Monti's main concern was to seize power with legal means." Becchi added: "In the moment when political power is brought down to the level of financial power, a coup d'état is always possible, and so easy to carry out that almost nobody realizes it." (Libero, December 1, 2011)
Monti's economic measures aimed at shifting an initial €24 billion over three years of the cost of the economic depression away from bankers and speculators and onto the shoulders of working people. The minimum of years on the job to obtain a pension was raised from 40 years to 42 years and one month for men. The minimum age for old-age pensions was raised from 60 years to 62 and then to 66 in 2018. Increases in pension payments would generally be frozen. The property tax (IMU) was increased by 30% and extended to resident homeowners, who had previously been exempt. The value added tax (IVA) was raised from 21% to 23%. As camouflage, a luxury tax on yachts, private planes, and Ferraris was introduced. Only the Northern League and Di Pietro voted against these measures.
Then came a push to make Italy a hire and fire society on the American model, striking down protections that had been in place for decades. Taxi drivers, pharmacists, doctors, lawyers, and notaries were deprived of minimum fees for their services, and their professions were deregulated.
Thanks to Monti's measures, the Italian unemployment rate has risen from 8.5% in November 2011 to 11.2% in February 2013, the worst in 13 years. Almost 3 million Italians are out of work, with 644,000 or 29% of them laid off on Monti's watch. Youth unemployment is now at an all-time record of 37%. By December of 2012, industrial production, after falling every months since Monti took power, was down by 7% compared to December 2011.
Grillo: Endless referendums, endless instability
The early Northern League told Italians and foreigners and southerners were responsible for their problems. Grillo blames politicians and political parties. Bersani's support for Monti's austerity, combined with Berlusconi's personal excesses, has focused new attention on the comedian Beppe Grillo and his 5SM. Grillo may well emerge as the big winner of these elections. Grillo has a recent precedent: the comedian Guglielmo Giannini, who in 1944 founded the Man In the Street (uomo qualunque) movement, an Italian precursor of French poujadisme.
Giannini appealed to the angry postwar petty bourgeoisie with populist themes of anti-politics, anti-politicians, anti-corruption, anti-government, deregulation, and anti-taxes. Grillo uses many of the techniques of Giannini, such as obscene and abusive slogans, or mocking the names of his opponents: for Grillo, Monti becomes Rigor Montis.
Grillo, ignoring the lessons of the Weimar Republic, recommends hyper-democracy as a method of governing. The basic approach to all controversies is to organize a referendum. This can work at the level of local government, where some of Grillo's supporters started, but might lead to chaos if applied nationwide. Grillo wants a referendum on whether Italy should stay in the euro, an idea which appeals in Italy to a few ultra-lefts, but mainly to reactionaries. Grillo (like the framers of Weimar) focuses on the need of government to make sure that all voices receive representation, but neglects the equally imperative need on to promote majorities capable of deciding issues and exercising power.
Grillo mayor fails to solve pre-school issue in Parma
The first big success for Grillo came in Parma, traditionally the turf of the PCI/Democratic Party. Here Grillo's candidate took over as mayor early in 2012. Within less than a year, Grillo was greeted by protests over the rising cost of living, especially for the mayor's raising of the price of pre-school for working families, while eliminating multi-child discounts. Up to this point, Grillo had enjoyed all the advantages of the Muslim Brotherhood under Mubarak, or of Jesse Ventura running for governor of Minnesota, meaning the ability to criticize without any responsibility.
When confronted with an attack on his own record, Grillo responded with petulance, suggesting he cannot take criticism. Grillo has been declining television interviews, preferring to give speeches to large crowds in the piazza of many cities. But observers note that this is also a way to avoid probing questions from hostile journalists. In any case, big crowds do not necessarily indicate election majorities. Grillo portrays himself as a victim of the mass media, even though enjoys extensive coverage in the current phase. He is rich, but campaigns in a mini-van to increase his populist appeal.
According to Elisabetta Gualmini and Piergiorgio Corbetta in their survey of the Grillo movement entitled Il Partito del Grillo (Bologna: Il Mulino/Istituto Cattaneo, 2013), about 60% of Grillo's support comes from angry, male, sometimes unemployed generation X technicians, IT and software personnel, and small businessmen born between 1969 and 1978, and thus aged between 35 and 44. There are few pensioners, few housewives, few women of any background. Over 50% describe themselves as extreme left, left, or center-left, while about 30% self-described as center-right to right. Grillo represents a protest movement that cuts across the other political parties.
An ominous symptom is the dictatorship of Grillo inside the party. In recent weeks, Grillo has ousted a regional councilor from Emilia-Romagna for complaining on television of the lack of democracy inside the 5SM. He also expelled a Bologna city councilwoman for taking part in Ballaró, a widely viewed television talk show, after Grillo banned such appearances, presumably to keep the spotlight on himself. Previously, he had expelled three candidates from Bologna and a member of the Ferrara city council. Grillo considers the 5SM is a trademark which he owns. The dissidents are generally excommunicated by means of a tweet. Does Grillo write the tweets, blog, scripts, and speeches by himself, or is he controlled and supported by a syndicate?
Grillo's Svengalis: Casaleggio associates
Some say Grillo is a synthetic candidate. According to published accounts, Grillo's Svengali and teleprompter is political consultant Gianroberto Casaleggio, 58, of Casaleggio Associates, a company specialized in political and media consulting and strategies for Internet marketing - more or less the methods which have put Grillo where he is today.
Casaleggio and Grillo confer by telephone on average three times a day. Casaleggio, like Grillo, sports the hair style of an aging freak, trying to look like John Lennon, but unlike Grillo usually wears a suit. (Tommaso Caldarelli, Giornalettismo, May 25, 2012) Casaleggio's office is near Piazza Scala in Milan. The dominant partner at Casaleggio Associates is Enrico Sassoon, currently the director of the Italian edition of the Harvard Business Review.
Sassoon has worked for Pirelli, and is currently a leading light of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy. Sassoon is also on the board of the Italian branch of the Aspen Institute, where his colleagues are mostly members of the Bilderberg group. Giampietro Zanetti, a Berlusconi backer, writes in his blog: "Who is behind Grillo? Bilderberg and the Aspen Institute!"
Casaleggio, who once advised Di Pietro and Olivetti, believes that "by 2018 the world will be divided into: the West with direct democracy and free access to the Internet, and the enemies of freedom like China-Russia-Middle East." In 2020 there will be a new world war, with the population reduced by a billion, then catharsis, and finally rebirth in the name of Gaia, and world government." (Marco Alfieri, La Stampa, May 26, 2012) Is this really what Grillo's voters want?
Grillo and Casaleggio are the authors of a book called We Are At War - meaning that Grillo is the Guy Fawkes or Ludendorff of a war against political parties as such. The need to destroy political parties is one of the favorite themes of various disinformation channels of the US intelligence community, who see this as part of the effort to smash the national states and impose the Empire. A coincidence?
In 2012, the big political news from Europe was the emergence of Alexis Tsipras and Syriza to fight austerity in Greece with program, leadership, organization, and strategy, and not with utopias of participatory democracy. Grillo is the opposite of Syriza on most points, meaning that Italy now risks a new round of destabilization. Which method will prevail?


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Are we growing apart?
Sarah replies:My boyfriend and I have been intimate; we even live together. But lately I feel as if we are drifting apart. I do not know if it's because of his job (since he works full time to support himself and he's also paying for his degree) or it's me. Although he is away on a trip for work right now, he never even calls me to tell me he misses me. He calls for me to do the work he left behind here for him. He used to be one of my dearest friends before we started dating and now I don't know what has happened. He says that I nag to much. Do you think I should give him space? I do not want to be in a relationship where I am being taken for granted and I really do love him.
It's not at all unusual to find that our relationships change the longer we are in them. This is going to be true in our family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. As individuals, we are constantly growing and changing. Things get even more complicated when you consider the fact that our relationships are also growing and changing! So let's talk about a couple of scenarios regarding what might be going on here.
First, it could just be that the two of you and your relationship are changing, but your communication hasn't caught up yet. Like I said, we change as individuals and our relationships change. When we are first in a relationship, everything is new and exciting. We're really learning about our partner and our relationship (and by extension, we're also learning things about ourselves because we get to sort of "see ourselves through someone else's eyes"). This tends to be a really fast-paced time where we do a lot of experimenting to find out what works and doesn't work for us on many levels (communication, intimacy, physical closeness, etc.). The longer we're together (especially if you're spending lots of time in very close physical proximity to your partner), the more we learn about one another. We start doing a lot of self-disclosure (telling the other person personal and often private information about ourselves and a variety of topics). So we're telling about ourself and learning about the other person. We sort of start to get used to one another, which is different than that first part of our relationships where we were getting TONS of new information all the time. Sometimes this can feel like we're getting stagnate in our relationship or that we're even growing apart, but this isn't necessarily the case. It's just different than what you have experienced before and it takes some time to learn how to operate within the new structure.
So, what do you do about this? You sit down with your partner and talk about the way you're communicating. Unfortunately, most people don't take the time to talk about this, but it's a really important part of keeping your relationships healthy. Start off by talking about what each of you need in this relationship. Does he feel like he needs more space? Do you feel like you need more attention? Then, discuss what that actually means in practice. So, for example, if you're feeling hurt because he is not calling when he's out of town, how often are you wanting to talk? Every other day? Once a day? And, what do you need those conversations to look like? The more specific you can both be about what you need, the better off you'll be. Often, we find that we aren't very good at actually communicating our needs to our partner. We tend to make assumptions about it. We assume that because we sound upset or feel upset about something, our partner will know what's going on and know what it is that we need them to do about it. However, this is usually far from the truth (unless your partner is a psychic, and even then I wouldn't count on them getting it right all the time). Once you both know what it is that the other person is needing and wanting, you can figure out ways that will work (in real life) to address those needs. This may mean that you don't always get exactly what you want, but it should be possible to find a good compromise. So if your partner is feeling like he needs more space, once you establish what that means and how much time apart he needs, the two of you can figure out how to deal with that. Perhaps you need an afternoon or evening apart once a week or a couple of times a month. It's all about negotiation. Remember that these conversations are best had when things are calm and neither of you are upset (in general or about any specific issue). So talking about this over the phone when he's away and has just called to ask you to do something is probably not the wisest idea. This is also not going to be a one-time-and-we-fix-all-the-problems-forever kind of thing. No matter how long you're with somebody, the relationship will still be evolving. You've got to make it a priority to sit down on a regular basis and do a sort of check up on your relationship and your communication. If there are things that are working, then that's great! If there are things that are not working (either issues or ways of communicating), then it's time to renegotiate and find something that DOES work.
Secondly, the issue could be that this relationship is just not a good fit for either of you. Even if we are intimate with someone (however you define that) and living with them, that doesn't guarantee that the relationship is one that will continue forever. The vast majority of people will have many romantic relationships over the course of our lives. Obviously, not all of these are going to be long-term. Sometimes things seem to fit really well in the beginning, but once we've been together and we spend that time self-disclosing, we find that it's not such a good fit after all. In and of itself, this is NOT an inherently bad thing. We've got to have relationships and try things out in order to find out what works for us in any type of relationship we have. Nobody looks forward to this happening and of course we are sad when we find that a relationship is not going to work. However, it's much better to realize that something just isn't working (and isn't fixable) and get out of it rather than staying when nobody is happy. It's not fair to you or your partner if the fit really isn't good, but you're both hanging around being unhappy.
So what do you do about this? Well, again the solution starts with communicating. Unless your relationship is abusive, begin by doing some of the things we discussed above. Talk about your needs and how you are communicating with one another. Try to figure out what's not right and address those issues. Are there things that can be done to fix what's going on? You may have to try a few different things in order to figure out how to make this work. Maybe living together right now isn't something that's working out. It may be a good idea for one of you to move out (for a while at least). Or perhaps you need to spend more time on the other relationships in your lives (like with friends or family) than you have been. It may even be a wise idea to seek some help from a relationship counselor or couples therapist. Sometimes we can get a better handle on things when we have someone else who can observe from the outside and help us learn to talk to one another in truly effective ways. However, you also want to have in your own mind what your "make or break" issues are and where the "point of no return" lies. If you reach either of those points, then it's time to get out. (If this is an abusive situation, in any manner, then I'd encourage you to get out immediately. An abusive partner is not going to change by talking, they're a danger you you. So you should get away as quickly and completely as possible.)
You may want to check out the following articles for more information:
- Be a Blabbermouth! The Whats, Whys and Hows of Talking About Sex With a Partner (While this article specifically deals with talking about sex, many of the principles can be applied to talking about ANY topic within your relationship.)
- Potholes & Dead Ends: Relationship Roadblocks to Look Out For
- Sexual Negotiation for the Long Haul
- To Be... AWESOME or Just Be –– Tips on Making the Most of Your Life Right Now!
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An august schedule awaits the local music fan in August, with some country, rockabilly, Irish, jazz and contemporary offerings. If you have never seen Ray Wylie Hubbard, hop to it. The Royal Crown Revue at Burbank's Starlight Bowl will be a fun family date, P.J. will bring her darkness to the Fonda, and Old Man Markley, the biggest little band I know, will dust it up at the Knitting Factory. El Vez is still at it after a couple of decades of doing the latin Elvis thing, Broken Social will be infectious outdoors at the Sunset Junction, and Radiohead will provide the icing at the end of the month. Listen to Bon Iver's Skinny Love and Sam Sparro's Black and Gold and decide if you want to check those guys out. Rock on my peeps.
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Fri 08/01/08 Buddy Guy Greek Theatre
Fri 08/01/08 Ray Wylie Hubbard, I See Hawks in LA McCabes
Fri 08/01/08 Elvin Bishop, George Thorogood & The Destroyers Greek Theatre
Fri 08/01/08 The Subways Troubadour
Sun 08/03/08 Lyle Lovett Orpheum Theatre
Sun 08/03/08 Royal Crown Revue Starlight Bowl
Wed 08/06/08 The Ting Tings El Rey Theatre
Thu 08/07/08 Lisa Haley & the Zydecats- free Levitt Pavilion
Sat 08/09/08 Sam Sparro Troubadour
Wed 08/13/08 Paolo Nutini Hollywood Bowl
Wed 08/13/08 Solomon Burke Hollywood Bowl
Sat 08/16/08 Gipsy Kings Greek Theatre
Sat 08/16/08 P.J. Harvey Music Box Fonda
Sat 08/16/08 Queens Of The Stone Age Music Box @ Fonda
Sat 08/16/08 Reckless Kelly The Mint
Sun 08/17/08 Young Dubliners Greek Theatre
Sun 08/17/08 Boney James Hollywood Bowl
Sun 08/17/08 David Sanborn Hollywood Bowl
Sun 08/17/08 Eric Darius Hollywood Bowl
Sun 08/17/08 Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys The Derby
Mon 08/18/08 1st ever Ford Bluegrass Jam John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
Wed 08/20/08 Gin Blossoms Pershing Square
Thu 08/21/08 American Music Night w/John Doe – free Levitt Pavilion
Thu 08/21/08 Tickets available for free Fur Dixon and Steve show at The Getty
Fri 08/22/08 James Intveld Joe's Great American Bar & Grill
Old Man Markley photo
Fri 08/22/08 Old Bull, Old Man Markley Knitting Factory Hollywood
Sat 08/23/08 James Intveld, The Palominos Safari Sam's
Sat 08/23/08 El Vez, Lysa Flores Key Club
Sat 08/23/08 Broken Social Scene Sunset Junction Street Fair
Sat 08/23/08 Cold War Kids Sunset Junction Street Fair
Sat 08/23/08 Johnathan Rice Sunset Junction Street Fair
Radio head hphoto
Sun 08/24/08 Radiohead Hollywood Bowl
Mon 08/25/08 Radiohead Hollywood Bowl
Tue 08/26/08 Bon Iver, A.A. Bondy Troubadour
Thu 08/28/08 Marc Broussard the Roxy
Sun 08/31/08 Southern Culture On The Skids Echo
Sun 08/31/08 Jack Johnson UCLA
Sun 08/31/08 Grand Ole Echo w Southern Culture on the Skids 5pm The Echo
Sun 08/31/08 Rogue Wave UCLA


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[Uralla, Australia; October 19. Image via Getty]
URALLA, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 19: Rouseabout Reanne Brown rolls a fleece on the table during spring shearing at Cherry Hill Pastoral Company property on October 19, 2009 in Uralla, Australia. Shearing in Australia is undertaken once a year and consists of shearing a sheep, throwing the shorn fleece on a table where it is skirted and rolled before being classed, sorted and pressed. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)


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Cory Schneider needs to play
Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider looks up at the overhead video screen after being replaced by Roberto Luongo in the second period of their NHL regular season opener against the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. The Canucks lost 7-3.
Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann , PNG
VANCOUVER — "How many times have I lost my first game in a shootout?" Roberto Luongo asked.
Sunday made three straight.
It was a game Luongo figured last summer he would never play, but one that Vancouver Canuck coach Alain Vigneault planned for him as soon as the revised National Hockey League schedule came out and Luongo was simultaneously still on the roster and the trade market.
Saturday's you-can't-make-this-up melodrama involving new starter Cory Schneider, who gave up five goals on 14 shots and was hooked from the first game of the rest of his life, didn't alter the plan.
And neither should Sunday change Canuck plans, even if Luongo was excellent and made a pile of strong saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers that left the Canucks with just one of four points from the opening weekend of the 48-game season.
Canuck coaches and managers spent all of last season analyzing the goaltending situation, doing the math and projecting Schneider and Luongo, then determined the club should change starters and trade the best netminder in franchise history – a player whom they valued highly enough to sign to a 12-year, $64-million contract.
• POLL: Who should Canucks start in goal Wednesday vs. Flames?
One game or two shouldn't change those plans. Schneider, ghastly in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks but no worse than most teammates, should go straight back into the net on Wednesday when the Canucks play the Calgary Flames.
Schneider is the No. 1. That status is supposed to carry the benefit of the doubt. There have been numerous times the last six seasons when Luongo was given the latitude to struggle, and playing the backup was secondary to the need to get the starter going. Because, ultimately, it was Luongo's team and the Canucks would go as far as he carried them.
Schneider needs to get going now. Three weeks removed from his month-long lockout holiday in the Swiss League and without the aid of even one pre-season game before Saturday, Schneider needs to play. There should be no hesitation by anyone in the organization about starting him Wednesday.
But Vigneault may as well have thrown a Kardashian into the soap opera when he declined to name his starter after the Edmonton game.
"I'll let you know Tuesday," he said.
What is there to think about? Schneider is the Canucks' No. 1 goalie or he isn't. And if he doesn't start Wednesday, he's not the No. 1 goalie. And if that's the case, what the heck have the last nine months been about?
Sunday night was time for Vigneault to rally around Schneider, to not let the question linger about who will be leading the team this season.
On Saturday, Vigneault said it was merely one game for Schneider, although it was actually only 26 minutes and 37 seconds.
"How did it look?" he said when asked to assess Schneider. "He tried hard. You're going to have nights like that."
But maybe it wasn't just one game.
"One game does not make a season," Luongo said. "The guy has tremendous talent. He's one of the best goalies in the league, in my opinion, already. It goes without saying that nothing changes."
Well, it sure went without saying in Vigneault's press conference.
Luongo, whose support of the teammate who deposed him is far beyond what anyone could have expected or asked for, said after Saturday's game that he would talk to Schneider in a quiet moment and tell him it was only one game and to not be distracted by the wildfire in the media.
That too, Luongo said, is part of being a No. 1 goalie.
"When things go well, you're praised," he said. "And when things don't go well, it falls on your shoulders a bit more. That's part of learning. That's part of being a starter.
"Cory's a very smart guy. Good head on his shoulders. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll be ready to go. I have no doubt that he'll respond well."
Yes, but when will Schneider have the chance?
After Wednesday's home game, the Canucks play three games in four nights in California, starting Friday in Anaheim.
Luongo showcased himself on Sunday, displaying his ability to make big saves, although he accepted blame for the two goals that beat him.
As the final seconds ticked down in the middle period, Oiler phenom Jordan Eberle cut around top Canuck defenceman Alex Edler and, from a sharp angle, roofed a world-class backhand into the top corner.
That cut a 2-0 Canuck lead in half. Ales Hemsky, unchecked and at full speed, tied it with 5:55 remaining in regulation time when he squeezed a shot from the right-wing faceoff dot between Luongo's arm and torso.
Hemsky and Sam Gagner used dekes to beat Luongo in the shootout.
Luongo lost his first start last season in a shootout against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The year before, the Los Angeles Kings beat Luongo and the Canucks in the tie-breaker on opening night.
"Both goals I thought I should have made the save," Luongo said of regulation time. "Mostly, guys attacking the net from the side, I want to make sure I'm square and not giving up anything."
Luongo's timing is off because this weekend would, in other years, have been the start of the pre-season. The lack of rehearsal time is showing for the Canucks. Schneider didn't play as badly as he did Saturday in any game last season.
"We're a team, you know?" Luongo said of he and Schneider. "No matter what the roles are, this year or in the past, I think it's important that we've got each other's back. We both play for the Vancouver Canucks and we both want to win games for the team."
And so far, both have failed.


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Download Draining 1. Bring the engine to normal operating temperature and turn the engine off. With the cooling system under pressure, inspect cooling system hoses and clamped hose connections for leaks, excessive deterioration or contact wear. Inspect radiator installation retention. Note any discrepancies and proceed. 2. WARNING: Never remove the pressure relief cap while the engine is operating or when the cooling system is hot. Failure to follow these instructions can result in damage to the cooling system or engine or personal injury. To avoid having scalding hot coolant or steam blow out of the degas bottle when removing the pressure relief cap, wait until the engine has cooled, then wrap a thick cloth around the pressure relief cap and turn it slowly. Step back while the pressure is released from the cooling system.
Home Auto Repair 2002 Ford Escort Workshop Manual Cooling System Draining Filling and Bleeding


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